Guest post: parenting 101 – the importance of understanding the internet
Unless you’re a technology-pro, the intricacies of the internet probably mean very little to you. Numbers such as 500 kbps or 2 Mbps are often mentioned in the online world and such figures essentially determine how fast your internet speed is, but why do parents need to know this?
As the world continues to spend more of its time online, your kids will undoubtedly already outperform you on the net. Whilst you may see this as simply a representation of how modern generations adapt to technology a lot quicker than us parents, there are dangers associated with letting your children rule the web.
After all, there are numerous dangers found online and whilst your kids may be able to open an internet browser or compose an email quicker than you they may not be as good at identifying potential threats or unsafe links. This could not only lead to your computer or internet enabled device becoming infected with a virus; it could also put your child in incredible danger.
Internet speed
Internet speed will determine how effective it is within your home. For busy households with lots of kids there is likely to be more than one user connected to the service at any one time and this will put your broadband under greater strain – especially if you wish to perform tasks such as watching a movie online, watching catch-up television or talking to a family or friend on Skype.
Making sure your service can connect and download content quickly will improve the experience for your children and this will only be to their benefit. In order to determine the speed of your internet, you can carry out a speed test. Information on how to carry out this test can be found online. Once you have determined your speed, you can then establish the quality of it.
Internet security
After you have established a reliable and fast connection for the internet in your home you will need to turn your attention to safety. As mentioned before, children may be better at using technology but their innocence means they can fail to spot malicious content or identify risks. You must therefore do all you can to help them stay safe – and that means knowing how to identify threats yourself.
Emails are a common source of problems as malicious content can be disguised in seemingly innocent links. It is important that you do not open any attachments or emails which appear suspicious and you should teach your children the same practices if they have email addresses.
In addition to this, set up parental controls and restrictions on when your children can go online and what they can do whilst there. Social networking is a popular avenue for the younger generations at present but there are plenty of risks involved with these popular sites too. Brush up on your social networking knowledge so that you know what dangers your children need protecting from. If you can advise them on how to make the most of the internet then not only will you win points for being a cool parent but you’ll also know that they’re safe at all times.
